Local Food Shopping

Don’t miss the weekly markets if you’re around for them. But if not, don’t worry, there are plenty of other, excellent, local options:

Patisseries

Patisserie Ayrole is best-in-class and the inventors of the ruby red Tarte Vigneronne - which is a local delicacy made from thin slices of apple set in a Chinon wine jelly, with a slightly caramelised mille-feuille base (delicious - try it!). You can’t go too far wrong with anything from here though (5 Rue Neuve de L’Hôtel de Ville). Fournil du Chateau - albeit a boulangerie and not a patisserie - has great, more rustic puds in mini format only. Order a day in advance if you want things in a larger size.

Cheese

For wonderful French cheese, look no further than the relatively new Laiterie Gilbert, tucked away in the far corner of Place Hofheim. They have a good selection of local and regional cheeses as well as all the classics. (There is also an excellent cheese truck that comes to town for the Thursday market.)

Biocoop (very close to us) also sells some great cheese too as well as locally produced watercress.

Charcuterie

Ondet’s (see below) homemade salami is good, but for rillette and exceptional patés you have to go a little further-a-field. The short, 20-minute drive to Azay-le-Rideau’s Hardouin is worth it though, for their renowned charcuterie. Stop for lunch in town, (try L’Épine) and then wander around the Château d’Azay (read our page here for more details on it).

Butchers

Ondet, opposite Cafe des Arts has a good selection of meat (open Monday-Saturday 8am-1pm; 3pm-7pm and Sunday 8am-1pm. Closed Mondays) and if he doesn’t have what you’re looking for, the chances are Boucherie Martin, a few doors down, will. However, the star of the show is the exceptional, family-run butcher in Huismes, very close to La Fuye, called Boucherie Beugnet (open 8:45am-1pm; 3:30pm-7pm Monday, Thursday-Saturday; Wednesday 08:45am-1pm; 4:40pm-7pm and Sunday 9am-12:30pm). He is regionally renowned. On Sundays only they have a rotisserie chickens on a spit (with very high quality chickens, not always a given with rotisseries) - highly recommended for a lazy, easy Sunday lunch. For more info on the charming little hamlet of Huismes, read our page on it here.

Fruit & Veg

Les 4 Saisons (on the roundabout towards La Roche-Clermault) is over on the other side of the river. This has quite a following. Terre Y Fruit (23 Rue René Cassin) is larger and has a great choice of both fruit and veg plus local, organic milk and a small selection of cheese.

Lastly, Les Halles des Tours is a wonderful indoor market that is open daily (located in Tours, as the name rather suggests, which is a 45-minute drive away). There are limited stalls open on a Monday, but not too few to mean it’s not worth visiting. Excellent for buying great wine, meat, fish, veg, cheese and charcuterie - all under one roof. Our favourite places to buy from are:

Les Belles Caves - extensive and well-stocked wine and liqueur shop

Meat from Mickael Guerche  - look for his large stall in the centre aisle, black with red writing ‘Boucherie Mickael Guerche’

Rodolphe Le Meunier - excellent cheese, they have a van that comes to Chinon for the Thursday morning market

Hardouin - good charcuterie and quiches (they also have a branch at nearby Azay-le-Rideau).

Be warned, Les Halles does close daily at lunchtime, from around 12.30pm-3pm. If you fancy a spot of lunch too, we suggest the very nearby and traditional Le Boeuf Sur La Place or La Rissole (more modern).